digits: How Microsoft Plans to Monetize Skype

With the acquisition of Skype, Microsoft faces the familiar tech quandry: how the heck can Skype mint serious money? We discuss with Nick Wingfield and Anupreeta Das.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

... a massive deal would end in the open yet when the government would bail ... out and see Apple of May ... the story says that this deal is going to be acquainted with Emma was yet what does that mean ... well I I hear it something that that we need action clarify with Microsoft ... but it's a company that he did all positive for naught net income are they don't have net income at this ... point in time before we're saying that ... it's can add to profits up pretty pretty soon it Micra softwood just to clarify exactly what he mean by that what he's excluding that ... this is nothing surprising here there's a lot of questions is how exactly my croissant is planning ... to make money on top of sky we've heard something for assets is advertising out we heard Mr Beaumont and Mr. Balmer Palm Aire speak about ... integration with an existing my croissant platforms has is actually going to happen ... well we're not in that business models yet how to change that is full of pride ... I've been to make more money over time ... the surprising thing to me is putting aside the valuation question from home and a half billion dollar valuation ... is people believe there's a lot of synergy between the spirits business in my croissant that is because ... you know they're hoping the communications ... business and buy ... her a lot of different types of products sprite did not fit in nicely with certainly a lot more ... than expected him to be there ... so I've been here to talk about valuation letter word that I think they're a lot of ... skeptics about whether it's ... worth the price tag Microsoft is paying for it ... and I'm sure all the Ramin I love the phrase that makes the accelerant revenue and profit profile on Sky ... um ... that's what everyone wants to do one the Mechem acquisition and Microsoft doesn't really have a great track record on acquisitions of that ... well it is the fact is it really has not done that many multibillion-dollar acquisitions I think wanted weren't an advertising firm acquired two years ago ... for six billion dollars ... that has not panned out ... as well as some people in hope ... there's another deal that they did the top of the search company called basket items ever billionaire turned out OK ... of course there is the Arctic deal than ever but actually hold on ... to ... offer that was the biggest of his wife are ... suing the company Windward's that has not done these big deals the way that some of its competitors like Cisco ... yet when he sold that back in two thousand and nine a valuation of times I think around two point seven five ... billion dollars in Sentana first we seen sky Caesar these tremendously thinking about six hundred and sixty ... million users now but those are lots of consumers are you see using ... this product for free or virtually ... nothing ALM so what right now if ... I weren't saying this eight point five billion dollar price tag ... well ... it's a company with eight hundred and sixty million dollars in revenue of last year ... and the return of sixteen million dollars in operating profit ... five so ... it is a real business of them Eicher soft and the real business people do use it for free time ... I were using it for free right now to do this interview that are a lot of people out there ... who've paid for by the end to Micra saw sees an opportunity they receive good business in sight ... as it is now and they see an opportunity ... to grow even more by integrating markets the product ... printouts of the deal saying that Intel ... says thank you Brian much for joining us ... this is yet another very big ... deal in the tech sector I did this come as a surprise it was this little room for a while ... now it actually does come as a surprise bit known for the longest and that something had to be going on the ... side because ... I think they were running of what you call a dual track process player unfiled for an IPO but you're also in open to receiving inquiries of interest from potential buyers ... they think of lending stand Mike SUP was by far the most ... I'm serious about buying sky in the Kymmene about ... six weeks ago and said Hey you know we're interested TheFind is compelling weekend knew no integrates types technology across ... the business and consumer and mobile platforms ... and doesn't expect that the business especially when the price because they sell and Chris Microsoft ... wants to make money out and everyone can again take money off this isn't the way is imminent with any talk about whether or not Mike SUP is using this acquisition ... is rooted in for their their intention to cash in consumer markets and boosted property income still coming from their software for business users why I think it's ... probably fair to say that but I do think expects ... technology will be equally helpful for my croissant and five Office suite of products ... and puts in a business that the small but you know there is ... a speaking with someone who said that if if if it's your grandmother who doesn't use Quanta Computer top of on site ... which is sitting on the TV screen that's connected to Xbox live ... that's one way in which U can you know actually attracting new ... users ... to be what definitely help Mike SUP and consumers days ... and then there's the Windows Mobile the windows of phones wicks um don't you know they unfortunately I as hip The Apple ... and Dell ... the group on confounding that offering will probably help Eicher soft because that is so popular ... just across the world in the complaint says that that mobile phones and mobile carriers I wanna bring me back into the next ... they were given how mobile carriers that Microsoft and working with ... might react to this considering that now Schutte could potentially be more readily available on mobile handsets ... my croissant to be very careful about this because they need carrier partnerships are in order to distribute Windows Phone ... I've got a big priority for them right now ... they won't talk about the from the small hall with a share revenue from from Strike integrated with Windows Phone with the carriers ... are not party met any of that I think you probably won't hear about it for awhile until they get traction ... for their mobile phone software ... on but long-term I think everybody realizes that the world is moving to buy to let them eat ... and that's can have a certain disruptive effect on the carrier's existing business markets of the stuff that ... one away to ... to work ... with ... was one of things it's critical to any acquisition is the managing a company called just ... what we know about the two companies of all the Canute of my croissant Seno the chemical to ... do we know any differences with Sky focusing much Small up maybe maybe much more entrepreneurial ... well you know I'm up in terms of the rank and file or stripe on less familiar with that one of the management of strike rate now or were ... you know people that were brought and basically after the investor group pot to cover the company from up from from the day that the gentleman predates two runs the stock now as he is now that the heading the Microsoft division ... five and so by ... I'm not sure however are covered in ash ... that certainly do all these cultural issues are always a big deal and income convergence like this ... of but you know my croissant that they don't have a lot of experience with five with these big deals so I think it's going to be either ... even more challenging than it might want to meet and thank you Brian much Nick